Virtual speaker demonstration system and virtual noise simulation

ABSTRACT

A virtual speaker demonstration system is disclosed that permits a retail outlet to use a reference speaker to demonstrate the performance of multiple different demonstration speakers. A user interface permits a user to select a demonstration speaker and signal processing is performed so that the output from the reference speaker simulates the output of the selected demonstration speaker. The invention provides benefits to all three of the consumer, the retailer, and the manufacturer. The consumer can listen to and compare multiple demonstration speakers easily and conveniently from the same reference speaker. The retailer to use a single (or few) reference speaker to demonstrate the performance of multiple demonstration speakers, saving costs and space. The manufacturer to be able to display and demonstrate to consumers a broader range of the manufacturer&#39;s product line.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. 120 ofthe prior application Ser. No. 10/147,476 filed on May 16, 2002,entitled Virtual Speaker Demonstration system and Virtual NoiseSimulation”, which has matured into U.S. Pat. No. 7,096,169.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally acoustic measurement andsimulation, and particularly, to the virtual demonstration of acousticsystems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Retailers of stereo equipment find it necessary to providedemonstrations of equipment so that customers can evaluate and compareproducts they are considering for purchase. In today's marketplace forstereo equipment, there is a plethora of options ranging from fairlylow-end equipment costing in the hundreds of dollars to sophisticatedhigh-end equipment costing in the thousands or tens of thousands ofdollars.

For example, loudspeakers can cost less than $100 per pair up tothousands per pair or more. At each level, there are a variety ofoptions provided by the typical loudspeaker manufacturer. For example,for the consumer looking for moderately high-end speakers for under$1000, there may be several products for floor speakers, several forbookshelf speakers, and so forth. Multiply these variations by thenumber of manufacturers carried by a well-stocked retailer and it isreadily appreciated that the consumer may have to choose from among tenor more options that generally fit within the consumer's initial budgetand performance requirements.

Not surprisingly then, providing the demonstrations required byconsumers becomes a significant challenge for the retailer. FIG. 1Aillustrates a typical prior art dedicated listening room that is crowdedwith a number of demonstration loudspeakers, sets 1-9. The speakers arecrowded around the perimeter of the listening room in an unaesthetic andinconvenient manner.

For one thing, the number of loudspeakers that can be displayed anddemonstrated is limited. The retailer may not be able todisplay/demonstrate all of the loudspeakers that the retailer carries,or alternatively, the retailer needs to have additional listening rooms,which is costly.

Also, a significant amount of complicated, costly, ungainly, andsometimes unreliable wiring is required to switch among loudspeaker sets1-9. Moreover, the lengths of the wiring changes from set to set,meaning that loss characteristics are not the same for all sets. Forexample, if a tuner/CD player, amplifier, and switch are locatedadjacent loudspeaker set 1, the length of the cabling to set 5 will bemuch longer than to set 1. All other things being equal, there will beadditional loss and noise associated with set 5 as compared to set 1.

Also, the consumer comparing the various sets has to walk from one setto the other in order to comparatively evaluate sets of loudspeakers.

Also, because the speakers are located at different positions in theroom, the even-handed comparison that the consumer seeks is underminedby the different positioning of the speakers. For example, a consumercomparing set 2 to set 5 is not hearing a valid comparison because theeffect of the room geometry and room material characteristics isdifferent in the two cases.

Also, the existence of so many sets of loudspeakers in the crowdedlistening room in FIG. 1 biases the characteristics of the listeningroom unfavorably, creating undesired reflections and sound paths.

More generally, listening rooms are inherently biased in the sense thatthey are unrepresentative of the actual environment in which a consumerwill install the equipment. For example, some retailers provide“dedicated” listening environments such as that of FIG. 1A, which is aspecial room set aside for speaker demonstration. High end retailerslike Myer Emco™ and Tweeter™ often provide such dedicated listeningrooms. While in some respects (e.g., reduced background noise) thesededicated listening rooms are an improvement over open-air non-dedicatedlistening rooms (discussed below), such dedicated listening rooms stillsuffer the significant drawback that they do not represent the actualenvironment the consumer will use. In short, the consumer will not heara demonstration of what the speakers will really sound like in his/herhome or office.

Other retailers simply use open-air non-dedicated listeningenvironments, e.g., an open showroom in Best Buy™ or Circuit City™. Suchnon-dedicated listening environments often have poor acousticcharacteristics and significant background noise. FIG. 1B illustrates anon-dedicated listening room in a department store. It can readily beappreciated that the performance of demonstration speakers 10 will bebiased by the various reflections that result from the structure of thestore, physical obstructions (e.g., aisles, stacks of products,cashiers, etc.), and from the significant interference created byextraneous background noise. Whether the consumer's intended environmentis a home living room or the interior of a car, the conventionalnon-dedicated listening room will not provide the consumer with ademonstration of what the speakers will sound like in the consumer'sactual environment. This is a significant disadvantage.

These are all significant disadvantages to the conventional approachesto demonstrating stereo equipment including loudspeakers. Other problemsand drawbacks also exist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention comprises a virtual speakerdemonstration system that permits a retail outlet to use a referencespeaker to demonstrate the performance of multiple demonstrationspeakers. A user interface permits a user to select a demonstrationspeaker, and signal processing is performed so that the output from thereference speaker simulates the output of the selected demonstrationspeaker.

The virtual speaker demonstration system processes a characteristicselected from stored characteristics for a plurality of demonstrationspeakers in order to simulate the selected demonstration speaker. Thevirtual speaker demonstration system also processes a characteristic ofthe reference speaker in order to remove the effects of the referencespeaker. The virtual speaker demonstration system processes an acousticsample (such as music) in order to generate an aggregate acoustic outputthat represents what the acoustic sample would sound like if it wereplayed through the selected demonstration speaker.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the virtual speakerdemonstration system can include the effects of a demonstrationenvironment by, for example, allowing a user to select from a pluralityof possible room configurations (e.g., geometry and absorptionparameters). In this case, the characteristic for the selecteddemonstration environment is processed to factor in its effects.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the virtual speakerdemonstration system can remove the effects of the reference environment(the listening room for the demonstration) by inverse filtering acharacteristic for the reference environment to remove its effects.

The virtual demonstration system of the invention represents asignificant advance over the prior art because the invention providesbenefits to all parties: consumers, retailers, and manufacturers.

Consumers benefit because the invention permits the consumer to listento and compare multiple demonstration speakers easily and convenientlyfrom the same reference speaker. Consumers also benefit because thevirtual demonstration provides a more accurate representation of how thedemonstration speakers will sound in a particular environment.Therefore, consumers can make more informed purchase decisions leadingto enhanced customer satisfaction.

Retailers benefit from the invention because the retailer can use asingle reference speaker set to demonstrate the performance of multipledemonstration speakers, saving costs and space. Retailers also benefitfrom the enhanced customer satisfaction resulting in fewer returns andmore repeat business. Retailers also benefit because they can displayand demonstrate a wider variety of products than space and costconstraints would otherwise allow. Because of space limitations,retailers can only display, and thereby, sell a limited number ofmanufacturers' speakers. This invention would allow retailers todemonstrate and sell a much broader selection of manufacturers'speakers.

Manufacturers also benefit from enhanced customer satisfaction.Manufacturers also benefit because the invention provides a means fordisplaying and demonstrating a wider variety of the manufacturer'sproduct line at retailers.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide avirtual speaker demonstration system and method for simulating theperformance of multiple demonstration speakers using a single referencespeaker set.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a virtualspeaker demonstration system that allows a retailer to reduce the amountof floor space required for speaker demonstration.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a virtualspeaker demonstration system that reduces the complexity of wiringrequired for speaker demonstration.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a virtualspeaker demonstration system that reduces the variables in comparingdemonstration speakers so that comparisons are more even-handed.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a virtualspeaker demonstration system that allows a user to evaluate theperformance of demonstration speakers in selected physical environments.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. It will become apparent from the drawingsand detailed description that other objects, advantages and benefits ofthe invention also exist.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description that follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized andattained by the systems and methods, particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The purpose and advantages of the present invention will be apparent tothose of skill in the art from the following detailed description inconjunction with the appended drawings in which like referencecharacters are used to indicate like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A is an illustration of a typical prior art dedicated listeningroom for demonstrating loudspeakers.

FIG. 1B is an illustration of a typical prior art non-dedicatedlistening room for demonstrating loudspeakers.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a virtual demonstration system according toan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary user interface according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the exemplary characteristics that may beused by the virtual demonstration system.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for a user to engage the virtualdemonstration system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method creating a virtual demonstrationaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the digital signal processing that may beemployed for the virtual demonstration according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the loudspeaker characteristics that may beemployed for the virtual demonstration according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the environmental characteristics that maybe employed for the virtual demonstration according to an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of environmental conditions that may beemployed for the virtual demonstration according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a system for a virtual demonstrationsystem according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an interface for a user to initiate avirtual noise simulation according to an embodiment of the invention.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been usedto denote identical elements common to the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a virtual demonstration system according toan embodiment of the invention. The demonstration system includesinterface 200, samples 230, characteristics 210, digital signalprocessor (DSP) 200, and reference speakers 240.

Generally, the operation of the demonstration system is as follows. Auser, such as a consumer or other individual wishing to evaluate stereoequipment such as loudspeakers, accesses interface 200 in order toselect various options. The options may include such parameters as themake, the model, environmental characteristics (e.g., a room or aninterior of a vehicle), environmental conditions (e.g., speed, windowsopen/closed, etc.), and others further described below. The options mayalso include basic start (e.g., “Start Virtual Demonstration”), play(e.g., “Play Virtual Demonstration”), and stop (e.g., “End VirtualDemonstration”) options. The interface 200 may include a keyboard,touchscreen, voice recognition module, mouse or similar point-and-clickdevice, or any similar device usable for inputting selections.

Based on user-selected options, DSP 220 accesses characteristics 210 toretrieve appropriate characteristics and accesses samples 230 to input asound sample. Characteristics 210 generally refer to transfer functions,impulse responses, or other mathematical descriptions that characterizeacoustic performance. Characteristics 210 may be used to characterizeand, therefore, account for, the effects of various components of anacoustic system on overall acoustic performance. For example,characteristics 210 may be characteristics for demonstration speakers,reference speakers, demonstration spaces (rooms or vehicle interiors),reference spaces (e.g., the listening room in a retail outlet where thevirtual demonstration is presented), amplifiers, tuner/receivers,equalizers, and so forth. Additionally, in a beneficial embodiment(discussed further below) allowing the user to “build” his/her owndemonstration space, characteristics 210 may include absorptionparameters for various materials and geometry parameters which can beused to create a demonstration room.

Samples 230 are acoustic samples, such as samples of music, test sounds,spoken voice, etc. According to one approach, samples 230 are prestoredin the virtual demonstration system and selected by the user viainterface 200. According to another approach, samples 230 may be inputby the user, such as via disk, CD, DVD, or other storage device forinputting acoustic samples to the demonstration system.

Using digital signal processing techniques, DSP 220 processes theappropriately retrieved characteristics 210 and samples 230 in order toproduce an output representative of what the selected demonstrationspeakers will sound like in the selected environment. This output isplayed through reference speakers 240.

The user can then run the virtual demonstration again by selectingdifferent options, such as a different set of demonstration speakers, adifferent environment, a different amplifier, and so forth. In eachcase, the user will be hearing the virtual output from the same locationwithin the reference environment (i.e., the listening room) through thesame reference speakers, thus permitting a convenient and fair (“applesto apples”) comparison.

The virtual system of FIG. 2 is presented in simplified form in order tohighlight the unique features of the invention. It should be understoodthat the virtual system may include various conventional operations,such as anti-aliasing filtering, digital-to-analog conversion (DAC),amplification, and various signal conditioning processes, beforeoutputting the virtual signal through reference speakers 240.

The signal processing performed by DSP 220 in order to implement theinvention is well understood in the art. Generally, characteristics ofspeakers, environments, amplifiers, and other components of the totalacoustic system can be expressed as transfer functions (frequencydomain) or impulse responses (time domain equivalent of the transferfunction). These transfer functions can be determined analytically(through modeling and prediction, such as ray tracing) or empirically(through measurement). In a preferred embodiment of the invention thetransfer functions are determined empirically.

For example, transfer functions of the various demonstration speakerssupported by the virtual system can be measured in an anechoic chamberby stimulating the speakers with a basic acoustic input and themeasuring the response. Preferably, the response is measured across afrequency spectrum of interest to users, such as about 5 Hz to 30,000Hz, which goes beyond the typical range of human hearing but which willinclude the vibratory effects at the low and high ends. The measurementof the transfer function may be made at multiple angles with respect tothe demonstration speaker (to derive a response which is a function ofangle) or at a single on-axis point for simplicity.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the transfer functions ofboth the demonstration speakers and the reference speakers are measured.This permits the effects of the reference speakers to be removed and theeffects of the selected demonstration speaker to be inserted.

The transfer functions of the environments can be measured in analogousfashions. For example, the virtual system may include options forvarious demonstration environments (rooms or vehicle interiors). Thetransfer functions for these demonstration environments can bedetermined analytically or empirically. If determined analytically, raytracing or other acoustic modeling techniques are used to predict animpulse response for an analytic demonstration environment defined bygeometric parameters, materials and absorption coefficients. Ifdetermined empirically, actual demonstration environments areconstructed and then stimulated with a known acoustic input through aspeaker or transducer with known transfer characteristics. The impulseresponse of the demonstration environment can then be extracted usedwell known principles of acoustic signal processing.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the transfer functions ofboth the demonstration environment and the reference environment aremeasured. This permits the effects of the reference environment to beremoved and the effects of the selected demonstration environment to beinserted. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention,convenience and cost suggests that the reference environment be measuredempirically and the various demonstration environments be computedanalytically.

The transfer functions of other components in the overall acousticsystem can be determined in analogous fashions. For example, the virtualdemonstration system may include a reference amplifier for powering thedemonstration, but the user may be allowed to select a demonstrationamplifier. For example, the user might want to comparatively assess theperformance of speaker set 1 versus speaker set 2 where each is poweredby amplifier X. In order to support this capability, the virtualdemonstration system may provide for the transfer characteristics ofvarious demonstration amplifiers (note: amplifiers is construed broadlyhere, and could include receivers or separate amplifier/tuners) to bepredicted/measured (or provided by a manufacturer) and stored.Preferably, the transfer characteristics of the reference amplifier areknown and can be removed before the characteristics of the selecteddemonstration amplifier are inserted.

DSP 200 performs the digital signal processing to product the virtualoutput. DSP 200 may be a processor, microprocessor, microcontroller,computer, or similar device. The principles behind the operationsperformed by DSP 200 are well understood in the art. The reader isreferred to the following texts for background on signal processingoperations (e.g., inverse filtering, compensation, time domainfiltering, frequency domain filtering, and so forth) that may be used toimplement the invention: A. V. Oppenheim & R. W. Schafer, Digital SignalProcessing (Prentice-Hall: 1975); B. Widrow & S. D. Steams, AdaptiveSignal Processing (Prentice-Hall: 1985); P. A. Nelson & S. J. Elliot,Active Control of Sound (Harcourt Brace: 1992); J. S. Bendat and A. G.Piersol, Random Data (John Wiley & Sons: 1986); Reference Data forEngineers, 9^(th) ed. (Butterworth-Heinmann: 2002); and L. R. Rabiner &R. W. Schafer, Digital Processing of Speech Signals (Prentice-Hall:1978). Exemplary operations that may be performed by DSP 220 arediscussed further in connection with FIG. 7.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary user interface according to anembodiment of the invention. Interface 200 includes options to selectspeakers 300, select environment 310, select a sample 320, provide asample 330, and build an environment 340.

Select speakers 300 allows a user to select demonstration speakers forevaluation. This option may include further suboptions for selecting amake (e.g., a manufacturer like Pioneer) and a model (e.g., Pioneer 1000Series).

Select environment 310 allows a user to select the demonstrationenvironment. Generally, select environment 310 relates tocharacteristics that are already determined (computed or measured). Thisoption may provide a textual and/or graphical list of demonstrationenvironments which characteristics are readily accessible to DSP 220.The demonstration environments may be a room or auditorium in abuilding, or may be the interior of a vehicle. In that latter scenario,there may be suboptions for selecting a make (e.g., a car manufacturersuch as BMW) and a model (e.g., Model 540). Select environment 310 mayallow the user to modify a demonstration environment or select betweenvarious options (e.g., change a room size or select between carpet/nocarpet or convertible/hardtop).

Select sample 320 provides options for the acoustic sample that isplayed through the virtual demonstration system. Select sample 320 mayinclude music (portions or the entirety of songs), test samples (tones,white noise, etc.), spoken audio, and the like. Based on the user'sselection, select sample 320 causes the DSP 220 to retrieve and processthe selected acoustic sample.

Provide sample 330 allows a user to input his/her own acoustic samplefrom a storage means such as a disk, CD, DVD, and so forth. Providesample 330 may include submenus for directing the user to insert thestorage means into a reader, select the desired acoustic sample (e.g., aportion of a song on track 5), crop the time domain data down to anappropriate size, and so forth.

Build environment 340 provides an option for a user to build ademonstration environment. For example, this option may allow the userto simulate the room or auditorium in which loudspeakers will be placed.This option may allow the user to compare the performance of variousdemonstration rooms in order to decide which to build in his/her home orbuilding. Build environment 340 includes submenus so that the user cangraphically build the demonstration room by selecting geometries andmaterials. Materials may automatically be linked to stored absorptionparameters. Once the user has input the geometry and materialselections, build environment 340 analytically generates thecharacteristics for the demonstration environment, such as by running aray trace model or other acoustic prediction model.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the exemplary characteristics that may beused by the virtual demonstration system. Exemplary characteristics 210may include reference speaker characteristic 400, demonstration speakercharacteristics 410, environment characteristics 420, build absorptioncharacteristics 430, and build geometry data 440.

Reference speaker characteristics 400 has the characteristics of thereference speakers used for the virtual demonstration system. Thesecharacteristics may be a transfer function, impulse response function,or equivalent mathematical description of the acoustic performance ofthe reference speaker. These characteristics are used to remove theeffects of the reference speakers, such as by inverse filtering.

Demonstration speaker characteristics 410 has the characteristics of thevarious demonstration speakers that the virtual system is capable ofsimulating. These characteristics may be represented similar to thosefor the reference speakers. The demonstration speaker characteristics410 are used to insert the effects of the demonstration speakers, suchas by digital filtering (e.g., convolution, infinite impulse response[IIR], or finite impulse response [FIR], operations in the time domainor multiplication in the frequency domain).

Environmental characteristics 420 has the characteristics of the variousdemonstration environments that are supported by the virtual system.This module may also include the characteristic of the reference room sothat its effects can be removed.

Build absorption characteristics 430 contains absorption figurescorresponding to various materials. Exemplary absorption parameters areprovided in Chapter 10, Table 10, of Reference Data for Engineers,9^(th) ed. (Butterworth-Heinmann: 2002). The materials may be suchthings as carpet, hardwood, drapes, and so forth.

Build geometry data 440 contains selectable geometries (blocks,rectangles, stairs, floors, ceilings, etc.) that can be used in aCAD-CAM like fashion to generate a demonstration environment.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for a user to engage the virtualdemonstration system according to an embodiment of the invention. Instep 500, the user accesses the interface. In step 510, the user selectsa make (e.g., Pioneer). In step 520, the user selects a model (e.g.,Series 1000). In step 530, the user can select a demonstrationenvironment for which the characteristics are already stored by thevirtual demonstration system. Alternatively, in step 540 the user canbuild an environment by selecting materials and geometries.

In step 550, the user can select an acoustic sample to play through thevirtual system. Alternatively, in step 560 the user can opt to provide asample via storage means such as a CD, DVD, disk, or the like. Accordingto one beneficial embodiment, the virtual system includes an option tolink to the Internet so that the user can download an acoustic sample.

In step 570, the user plays the virtual demonstration. In step 580, theuser decides whether to run another virtual demonstration to comparedifferent demonstration speakers and/or different demonstrationenvironments. The virtual system beneficially stores the selections fromthe last run so that they can be used for the next run. For example, theuser will not have to recreate the demonstration environment in run #2.Instead, he/she can simply select the one from the last run.

The method ends at 590.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method creating a virtual demonstrationaccording to an embodiment of the invention. After the method starts at600, the virtual demonstration system accesses the reference speakercharacteristic at 610, and applies the reference speaker characteristicat 620. The application could be performed, for example, by inversefiltering in the frequency domain or time domain.

In step 630, the virtual system accesses the demonstration speakercharacteristics at 630 to retrieve a characteristic corresponding to aselected demonstration speaker, and at 640, the virtual system appliesthe retrieved characteristic. This application could be performed, forexample, by filtering in the frequency domain or time domain.

In step 650, the virtual system accesses and applies environmentalcharacteristics. For example, in step 652 the reference roomcharacteristic may be applied in order to remove its effects. In step654, a demonstration environment characteristic corresponding to aselected demonstration environment is retrieved and applied in order toinclude its effects.

In step 660, the virtual system accesses and applies an acoustic sample.For example, in step 662 a prestored acoustic sample that was selectedby the user is applied by the virtual system. For example, in step 664 auser-supplied (e.g., via storage means or from the Internet) acousticsample is applied by the virtual system. The application of the acousticsample could be performed, for example, by filtering the acoustic sampleinput with in the characteristics of the reference speaker and/ordemonstration speaker and/or demonstration environment in the timedomain or the frequency domain.

In step 670, the virtual system performs any ancillary output processingsuch as digital-to-analog conversion, filtering, amplification, signalconditioning, and so forth, before outputting the virtual signal to thereference speakers in step 680.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the digital signal processing that may beemployed by DSP 220 according to an embodiment of the invention. Becausethe overall acoustic system is treatable as a linear system, theordering of the operations in FIG. 7 can be changed. In block 700,inverse filtering to remove the contribution or bias of the referencespeakers is performed. In block 710, the transfer functioncharacteristic of the demonstration speaker is applied. In block 720,inverse filtering is performed to remove the contribution or bias of thereference room. In block 730, the transfer function characteristic ofthe demonstration room is applied. In block 740, the acoustic sample isapplied. In step 750, various signal conditioning and digital-to-analogoperations are performed before the virtual signal is output at block760.

It should be understood that the various filtering operations of FIG. 7can be implemented in the time domain (e.g., convolution, infiniteimpulse response [IIR] filter, finite impulse response [FIR] filter) orfrequency domain.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the loudspeaker characteristics that may beemployed for the virtual demonstration according to an embodiment of theinvention. Reference speaker characteristics 400 and demonstrationspeaker characteristics 410 may be empirically determined 810 and/oranalytically determined 820, as previously discussed.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the environmental characteristics that maybe employed for the virtual demonstration according to an embodiment ofthe invention. Similar to FIG. 8, environmental characteristics 420 maybe empirically determined 910 and/or analytically determined 920, aspreviously discussed.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of environmental conditions that may beemployed for the virtual demonstration according to an embodiment of theinvention. Environmental conditions 1000 generally represents anadditional set of options that can be selected by the user via interface200. For example, in an embodiment of the invention permitting theenvironmental space to correspond to the interior of a vehicle like acar, environmental conditions 1000 can be used to set variousoperational parameters. For example, environmental conditions 1000 mayallow the user to select a vehicle make 1010, model 1020, speed and/orRPM and/or gear 1030, top and/or roof and/or windows open or closed1040, seating location front/back/left/right 1050, and otherenvironmental factors 1060.

Environmental conditions 1000 permits a user to hear the virtualdemonstration in an acoustic environment of his/her selection. Thisacoustic environment (e.g., a BMW 328i, 50 mph, 4^(th) gear, 3200 RPM,windows closed, drivers seat) is preferably provided by the virtualdemonstration system based on empirical data measurements. This acousticenvironment can be combined with the other components of the overallacoustic system (e.g., demonstration speakers) using conventional DSPprocessing techniques to allow the user to hear the simulatedperformance of the demonstration system in a vehicle in operation.

According to another beneficial aspect of the invention, the virtualdemonstration system can permit a user to experience the simulatedacoustic environment without demonstration speakers or an input acousticsample. In other words, a user may not be interested in stereo equipmentat all. Rather, the user is interested in making a vehicle purchase orlease, and wishes to compare the acoustic performance of competingmodels. Therefore, the virtual demonstration system functions as avirtual noise simulation system. This application is readily extendibleto other vehicles, such as planes (e.g., for flight simulation), boats(marine simulators), and the like.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a system for a virtual demonstrationsystem implemented in a retail outlet. The system includes a memory 1130for storing characteristics and acoustic samples, a processor 1120 forperforming DSP processing, a user interface 1110 for allowing a user toselect options, a monitor/CRT 1100 for presenting a visual of thedemonstration speakers, and a data output 1150 for providing data to theuser regarding the virtually demonstrated equipment.

Monitor/CRT 1100 richens the user's experience because he/she now notonly hears the demonstration speaker, but sees them as well. Thepurchase experience is informed not only by the what the equipmentsounds like, but also by what it looks like. Monitor/CRT 1100 can be anysuitable graphical display for displaying the demonstration speaker,such as a computer display (CRT), television display, and so forth. Ifthe user is getting a demonstration of other equipment, such as anamplifier, monitor/CRT 1100 may display an image of that otherequipment.

Data output 1150 provides data to the user regarding the equipment thatis evaluated. For example, data output 1150 may output thespecifications, product manuals, sales information (cost, financingoptions, sales prices, and the like) and/or pictures (photos orgraphical images) of the equipment. Data output 1150 may be a color orblack-and-white printer or memory output device (disk writer or CDwriter) that can output information to the user who can then take theinformation home to further assess his/her contemplated purchase. Forexample, the user can take photos or graphical images of thedemonstration speakers home to see how well their design blends with theuser's décor at home.

Data output 1150 could also be a device for outputting data regardingthe evaluated equipment to the user electronically over the Internet orvia e-mail. For example, data output 1150 could include or be coupled toa web server for posting information on a web site accessible to theuser. Data output 1150 could include or be coupled to an email serverfor sending an e-mail to the user with the data.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an interface for a user to initiate avirtual noise simulation according to an embodiment of the inventiondiscussed above for FIG. 10. In FIG. 12, the user can select a device tobe simulated at 1210. For example, a car or plane or other device(make/model). The user can select conditions at 1210 (speed/RPM/gear,over-torque, ice breaking off propellers, depressurization, etc.). Theuser can then initiate the virtual noise simulation at 1230.

Having described the virtual demonstration system according to severalembodiments, it can be appreciated that numerous benefits flow from theinvention that benefit all three of the consumer, the retailer, and themanufacturer.

The consumer benefits because he/she can listen to and compare multipledemonstration speakers easily and conveniently from the same referencespeaker. The consumer also benefits because the virtual demonstrationprovides a more accurate representation of how the demonstrationspeakers will sound. Therefore, the consumer can make a more informedpurchase decision leading to enhanced customer satisfaction.

The brick-and-mortar retailer benefits because the retailer can use asingle reference speaker set to demonstrate the performance of multipledemonstration speakers, saving costs and space, and allowing theretailer to demonstrate a wider range of products. Because of spacelimitations, retailers can only display, and thereby, sell a limitednumber of manufacturers' speakers. This invention allows retailers todemonstrate and sell a much broader selection of manufacturers'speakers.

On-line retailers benefit because the retailer can providedemonstrations at the consumer's home or office that heretofore have notbeen possible. Until now, one of the significant shortcomings of on-linestereo retailing versus traditional in-store retailing was that theon-line retailer had no way to demonstrate its speaker products. Withthe advent of the invention, this is no longer the case and, in fact,the on-line retailer's ability to provide virtual demonstration to theconsumer in the convenience and comfort of the consumer's home may giveon-line retailers an advantage over brick-and-mortar retailers.

Additionally, both on-line and brick-and-mortar retailers also benefitfrom the enhanced customer satisfaction resulting in fewer returns andmore repeat business.

Manufacturers also benefit from the invention. Manufacturers benefitfrom enhanced customer satisfaction. Manufacturers also benefit becausethe invention provides a means for displaying and demonstrating a widervariety of the manufacturer's product line at retailers.

As it should be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art, furtherembodiments of the present invention may be made without departing fromits teachings and all such embodiments are considered to be within thespirit of the present invention.

For example, the reference speakers of the virtual demonstration systemcould easily be replaced by high-end headphones so that the user wouldnot need a reference room to experience the virtual demonstration. Thisembodiment is especially advantageous because it would remove thenecessity for accounting for the bias imparted by a reference listeningroom. Referring to FIG. 7, block 720 for filtering to remove the effectsof the reference room would not be required because effectively therewould be no reference room if headphones are used as the referencespeakers.

Reference headphones could be used in the virtual demonstration systemto demonstrate demonstration headphones. Thus, one set of high-qualityreference headphones could be used to virtually demonstrate theperformance of multiple sets of headphones.

It should also be understood that the virtual demonstration system couldbe implemented in a wide variety of contexts beyond the traditionalelectronics retail outlet. Some of these venues have been describedabove (churches, auditoriums, etc.). Depending on the product, othervenues that would benefit from the invention may include car,motorcycle, recreational vehicle (RV), and boat outlets; trade shows andsimilar public shows (e.g., auto shows, boat shows, home/commercialbuilder shows, etc.).

As suggested above, the invention can be considered to have two basicaspects: a virtual demonstration aspect (for demonstrating theperformance of electronics equipment like speakers, amplifiers, and thelike) and a virtual noise simulation aspect (for simulating variousacoustic environments, like the noise inside of a car or plane duringoperation). In some cases, an application will involve both aspects ofthe invention, such as when a consumer desires to hear the performanceof a set of demonstration speakers (virtual demonstration aspect) in aBMW 328i at 50 m.p.h., 3000 RPM, 4^(th) gear, with the windows open(virtual noise simulation aspect).

In other cases, an application will involve only one aspect of theinvention, such as when a consumer wishes to evaluate or experience theacoustic conditions of various cars, planes, boats, and the like. Theconsumer may wish to compare noise levels in cars during variousoperating conditions, as previously discussed. The consumer may wish tocompare noise levels for various options for a given car, such as asix-cylinder engine versus eight-cylinder engine, stick shift versusautomatic, wide sport tires versus standard tires, convertible versushard-top, headlights up versus down, windows up versus down, top upversus closed, and so forth.

In another context, outboard engine manufacturers or retailers can usethe virtual noise simulation aspect of the invention in order to providea simulation of engine noise for a boat in operation. The system wouldallow selection of various options which characteristics would beprocessed to generate a simulated noise output. The various optionscould include such things as engine type, boat type/shape/geometry,speed, RPM, sea state (wave height), two-cycle versus four-cycle engine,various power settings, various locations in the boat (forward, aft,left, right, deck, below), distance from shore, and so forth.

Other examples of applications for virtual noise simulation might befound in other consumer, educational, regulatory, and industrialapplications. As just one example, active noise cancellation (ANC) isnow finding application in consumer and industrial settings. The virtualnoise simulation aspect of the present invention would find beneficialapplication to demonstrating the efficacy of active noise cancellation.For example, a firm developing and marketing high-end active noisecancellation technology to large industry companies would obviouslybenefit from being able to demonstrate the improvement in noise levelsthat an ANC installation would bring.

As suggested above, the virtual demonstration system software could bepackaged for use in a home or office using high quality referencespeakers or headphones. The software could be provided by disk or otherstorage media or, alternatively, could be made available for downloadover the Internet. For so-called “on-line” retailers not havingtraditional “brick & mortar” outlets, this embodiment could be extremelybeneficial. Preferably, this embodiment would include interface optionsfor selecting the type of reference speakers or headphones to be usedfor specific users so that their effects can be compensated. In afurther variation to this approach, the user could use high performancereference speakers in the form of free-standing speakers (e.g., floorspeakers, speakers on a stand, bookshelf speakers, etc.) or headphonesprovided by the retailer or another entity (e.g., club, friend, speakermanufacturer, other business, band, etc.). This embodiment has theadvantage that the user need not own any special equipment to experiencethe virtual demonstration in the comfort of his/her home or office usingbasic computer hardware, such as a personal computer.

According to a further variation of the invention, virtual demonstrationsoftware could be run by the user in conjunction with basic homespeakers for virtually demonstrating car audio speakers. Most basic homespeakers will have adequate acoustic performance to simulate theperformance of car speakers. Thus, a user could practice the inventionin accordance with the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 3, 5, 10, and 12,in order to virtually demonstrate the performance of car speakers in anoperational environment (make/model of car, speed, RPM, windows up/down,etc.).

According to yet another variation, a retailer, audio systemscontractor, or other business (“demonstrator”) could use the virtualdemonstration system of the invention in order to provide on-sitedemonstrations of various demonstration speakers under differentenvironmental conditions. For example, a demonstrator could bringportable versions of the virtual demonstration system with a set ofreference speakers to a place of worship, auditorium, home, office,industrial facility, club, theater, school, or the like in order todemonstrate performance of various reference speakers and otherequipment (e.g., amplifiers of varying grades and powers). In such acase, the user interface may provide an option to exclude anycompensation for environment because no reference environment is beingused and no demonstration environment is selected. Rather, the actuallistening environment is being used.

In some cases, a customer would request that the demonstration takeplace in a room or building that is not completed so that an interimassessment can be made. Such an interim assessment could includevirtually demonstrating the impact of various materials (e.g.,furniture, acoustic tile and panels, carpeting, drapery, etc.) so thatthe customer could make decisions on material selection based onexpected acoustic performance. Such an interim assessment might entailthe measurement or prediction of the transfer characteristic (or impulseresponse) of the existing space where the demonstration would takeplace.

Additionally, while the reference speakers are generally discussed interms of pairs of speakers, the virtual demonstration system couldeasily employ further speakers so that “surround sound” effects could besimulated.

Additionally, the build environment feature of the invention can be maderelatively simple or complex depending on the sophistication and needsof the average user. For example, the user may be asked to identify: thepercentage of wall surfaces using highly reflective materials (e.g.,glass, wood paneling, untreated drywall, etc.), the percentage of wallsurfaces covered with absorptive materials (e.g., curtains or fabricwall art), the nature of the floor material (e.g., wood, vinyl, orcarpet), the composition of the ceiling (e.g., acoustic tile, woodpaneling or drywall), the ceiling design (e.g. flat or cathedral), thedensity of upholstered furniture (e.g., high, medium, or low), and/orthe shape of the room.

Additionally, it should be understood that the components of the virtualdemonstration system need not be collocated in one place. For example,referring to FIG. 2, an implementation at a retail outlet may have theinterface 200, DSP 220, and reference speakers 240 in the listeningroom, while the characteristics 210 and samples 230 may be remotelylocated. For example, the characteristics 210 and/or samples 230 may belocated at one or more web sites or non-Internet remote serversmaintained by the retailer or by the manufacturers. If maintained by themanufacturers, this beneficial embodiment would allow manufacturers toupdate and revise their demonstration speaker characteristics as theychange or as new models are released to market.

In a similar variation where the user is a consumer at home or at abusiness site, the interface 200, DSP 220 and reference speakers 240 areat the user's remote site, while the characteristics are maintained bythe retailer and/or a manufacturer at a web site or non-Internet remoteserver.

For typical retailers having stores with listening rooms, the inventioncould be beneficially applied so that each manufacturer would need tosupply only their best, top-of-the-line speaker. This speaker could beused as the reference speaker for that manufacturer, and the various DSPoperations and demonstration characteristics could be applied tovirtually demonstrate the manufacturer's other speakers through thetop-of-the-line model. This application would allow each manufacturer todemonstrate the entire line, while allowing the retailer to savevaluable floor space.

Additionally, it should be understood that the various operations arepresented so as to best explain the invention in a clear manner. Theseoperations could easily be further divided or combined. For example, inFIG. 7 the filtering operations for the reference speakers (block 700)and the demonstration speakers (block 710) could easily be combined intoa single operation.

Therefore, it is intended that all matter contained in above descriptionor shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as exemplaryand not limiting, and it is contemplated that the appended claims willcover any other such embodiments or modifications as fall within thetrue scope of the invention.

1. A system for demonstrating acoustic performance to consumers in orderto evaluate different speakers, comprising: a user interface forselecting options, including a selected demonstration speaker model froma plurality of available demonstration speaker models; a series ofstored first characteristic samples reflecting the performance of theplurality of demonstration speaker models; one or more acoustic inputsamples for processing to an acoustic output; a processor for processingan acoustic input sample and a first characteristic sample correspondingto a selected demonstration speaker model; a reference speaker foroutputting an acoustic signal based on the result of the processing;wherein the outputted acoustic signal provides an accuraterepresentation of the performance of the selected demonstration speakermodel outputting the acoustic input sample to the consumer; and furtherwherein the user interface permits a user to select a differentdemonstration speaker for processing to an acoustic output in order tocompare performance between selected speaker models.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the user interface and the reference speaker areinterconnected in a listening room in a retail outlet, such that theuser interface receives consumer input and the reference speaker outputsthe acoustic signal based on the consumer input.
 3. The system of claim1, further comprising a monitor for displaying an image of the selecteddemonstration speaker model.
 4. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a data output for outputting printed data regarding theselected demonstration speaker model.
 5. The system of claim 1, whereinthe reference speaker comprises headphones and the selecteddemonstration speaker model comprises free standing speakers.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising a series of stored secondcharacteristic samples reflecting the performance of a plurality ofdemonstration environments, and wherein the processor is further adaptedto process a second characteristic sample corresponding to a selecteddemonstration environment, and wherein the processed result renders anacoustic signal that simulates the performance of the demonstrationspeaker model outputting the acoustic input sample in the selecteddemonstration environment.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the secondcharacteristic samples are empirically derived.
 8. The system of claim6, wherein the second characteristic samples are analytically derived.9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a series of thirdcharacteristic samples comprising absorption data and a series of fourthdata comprising geometry data, wherein the third characteristic samplesand the fourth data enable a user to create a demonstration environmentfor the simulation.
 10. The system of claim 6 or 9, wherein the userinterface enables a user to select the location of the demonstrationspeaker model in the demonstration environment.
 11. The system of claim6 or 9, wherein the demonstration environment comprises a room.
 12. Thesystem of claim 6 or 9, wherein the demonstration environment comprisesthe inside of a vehicle.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the userinterface comprises options for selecting at least one of environmentalconditions or operational conditions.
 14. The system of claim 13,wherein the selectable conditions comprise at least two of thefollowing: a vehicle make; a vehicle model; speed; RPM; gear; engagementof convertible top or sunroof; engagement of windows; and seatinglocation.
 15. A system for demonstrating acoustic performance toconsumers in order to evaluate different speakers, comprising: a userinterface for selecting options for a consumer including a selecteddemonstration speaker from a plurality of available demonstrationspeakers; a series of stored characteristics reflecting the performanceof the plurality of demonstration speakers, said characteristics beingrepresented in any suitable domain including but not limited to thefrequency domain or time domain; an input for inputting an acousticsample comprising music or other audio data; a processor for processinga stored characteristic corresponding to the selected demonstrationspeaker and the acoustic sample; and a reference speakers for outputtingan acoustic signal corresponding to the processed result; wherein theoutputted acoustic signal provides an accurate representation of theacoustic performance of the selected demonstration speaker outputtingthe acoustic sample to the consumer.
 16. The system of claim 15, furthercomprising a display for displaying an image of the selecteddemonstration speaker.
 17. The system of claim 15, further comprising adata output for outputting printed data regarding the selecteddemonstration speaker.
 18. The system of claim 15, wherein the referencespeakers comprise headphones and the selected demonstration speakercomprises free standing speakers.
 19. The system of claim 15, whereinthe user interface includes an option for selecting a demonstrationenvironment out of a plurality of demonstration environments, andfurther wherein the processor is adapted to simulate a selecteddemonstration environment.
 20. The system of claim 19, wherein theprocessor is further adapted to compensate for a reference environmentin which the acoustic performance is demonstrated.
 21. The system ofclaim 20, wherein the compensation of the reference environment isperformed using inverse filtering.
 22. The system of claim 20, whereinthe user interface and the reference speakers are interconnected in alistening room in a retail outlet, such that the user interface receivesconsumer input and the reference speaker outputs the acoustic signalbased on the consumer input.
 23. The system of claim 15, wherein theuser interface includes an option for building a demonstrationenvironment, and further wherein the processor is adapted to simulatethe demonstration environment.
 24. The system of claim 23, wherein theoption for building a demonstration environment includes at least one ofselectable absorption characteristics and geometry.
 25. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a data output for outputting data via anelectronic means.
 26. The system of claim 25 wherein the electronicmeans for outputting data is a connection to a network enabling a userto upload the data to a web server.
 27. The system of claim 25 whereinthe electronic means for outputting data is a connection to an emailserver enabling a user to email the data to an email account.
 28. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the system comprises software componentsexecutable on a user's personal computer equipped with a Digital SignalProcessor and a reference speaker.
 29. The system of claim 28, whereinthe software components are downloadable via the Internet.
 30. Thesystem of claim 28, wherein the software components are provided tousers on a recordable medium.
 31. The system of claim 28, wherein theuser specifies the reference speakers used and the system compensatesfor the characteristics of the reference speakers.
 32. The system ofclaim 28, wherein the user provides empirical data for the system to usein compensating for a reference environment.
 33. The system of claim 28,wherein the user specifies characteristics of a reference environment.34. The system of claim 28 wherein the reference speakers areheadphones.
 35. A system for demonstrating noise control to consumers inorder to evaluate different noise control systems, comprising: a userinterface for selecting options for a consumer including a selecteddemonstration noise control solution out of a plurality of noise controlsolutions; a series of stored transfer characteristics reflecting theperformance of the plurality of demonstration noise control solutions,said transfer characteristics being represented in any suitable domainincluding but not limited to the frequency domain or time domain; aninput for inputting an acoustic sample comprising audio of the targetenvironment; a processor for processing a stored transfer characteristiccorresponding to the selected demonstration noise control solution andthe reference environment, said processor compensating for the referenceenvironment; and reference speakers for outputting an acoustic signalcorresponding to the processed result; wherein the outputted acousticsignal provides an accurate representation of the acoustic performanceof the selected noise control solutions outputting audio accuratelyreflecting the target environment with the demonstration noise controlsolution applied to the consumer.
 36. A method for simulating acousticperformance to consumers in order to evaluate different speakers,comprising: (a) accessing a user interface that includes options forselecting a demonstration speaker from a plurality of availabledemonstration speakers; (b) selecting a demonstration speaker; (c)performing one of selecting an environment and building an environment;(d) performing at least one of (1) selecting an acoustic sample from aplurality of stored acoustic samples available from the user interface(2) the consumer providing an acoustic sample for input for processing(3) providing an acoustic sample to the consumer to be loaded forprocessing and (4) accessing a network connection so that a user canretrieve an acoustic sample; (e) listening to the output of the selecteddemonstration speaker on at least one reference speaker; and (f)repeating at least steps (b) and (e) for a different demonstrationspeaker so that the user can compare the performance of thedemonstration speakers on the same at least one reference speaker;wherein the output is generated by processing so as to mimic theperformance of the selected demonstration speaker; wherein the outputtedacoustic signal provides an accurate representation of the performanceof the selected demonstration speaker model outputting the acousticsample to the consumer.
 37. The system of claim 1, wherein the referencespeaker comprises free standing speakers and the selected demonstrationspeaker model comprises headphones.
 38. The system of claim 15, whereinthe reference speakers comprise free standing speakers and the selecteddemonstration speaker comprises headphones.